Survival Instinct
by Full Power
Summary: Rendered amnesiac during the battle with his brother and the demon king of earth, Raditz suddenly recalls no reason to leave the tiny blue planet. With his Saiyan comrades presuming him dead and the opportunity to start over for the first time in his life, Raditz stays on Earth and sets out to become a true Saiyan warrior, much like he will eventually find his brother to be...
1. Chapter One: Critical Hit

_Saiyan Saga (Raditz Arc) – Part One: Critical Hit_

Spinach Wastes.

Normally, this section of the Earth was quiet, dead silent aside from animals crossing, water flowing, and creatures of different types feeding their newborn; it was, without a doubt, the true definition of peace and serenity. For those who wanted a break from the busy city life, areas like this out in the country were perfect to just lay back, stare at the blue sky above, and take in the quietness. One would assume that on this warm October day, the same would hold up.

"Die, Kakarot!"

This loud request came from a long-haired, armored warrior by the name of Raditz, who hovered above the green grass with his arms crossed tightly, a cruel and furious scowl planted on his face. Feeling a slight, but annoying, sting, Raditz directed his harsh, onyx eyes to his arms.

Small cuts lined his skin, causing red bumps to appear, but Raditz wasn't concerned, not in the least bit. With a quick trip to the rejuvenation tank after this trip was over with, the injuries would heal with no problem, not to mention make him stronger in the long run. What wouldn't heal, however, was the anger and newfound hatred that Raditz possessed for his brother.

Raditz narrowed his eyes at the man he called a brother located in front of him, spitting at the disgusting sight. The younger man's chest was exposed, the bright orange gi torn in several places, replaced with purple bruises and red scratches.

Raditz's little brother, Kakarot, had arrived at the wasteland determined to rescue his young son, Gohan - or as Raditz had named him, annoying weakling; then again, Raditz could bestow that name on his brother as well. Along the way, Kakarot had teamed up with a Namekian, and much to Raditz's inner shock, it was the same cocky, arrogant, Namek that the Saiyan mercenary had encountered when he landed on this planet.

But why did Raditz hate his brother? How could one dare despise a sibling, cut from the same kind of cloth as he and bred from the same Saiyans who had created Raditz?

It was a simple reason, one that was very easy to understand. Kakarot had wasted Raditz's time, and worse, he had betrayed him. Kakarot had turned his back on the only family that he had left, and for that, he would die.

For a Saiyan, the only thing that mattered was pride. In the legendary Saiyan culture, it didn't matter if you were a low-class soldier or an elite, taking on the strongest challenges you could find. At the end of the day, every Saiyan wound up dying somehow, but you'd be remembered for your pride. It was survival of the fittest, but part of that survival was how prideful a Saiyan would be.

From a young age, Raditz was always too prideful for his own good. He wasn't the strongest, far from it, but he was able to overcome his lack of power with his ability to maintain his dignity. Even when the other Saiyans laughed, called him names, and wouldn't allow him to partake in any Saiyan games, the long-haired fighter kept some sort of pride within.

As the years had gone on, though, Raditz's self-esteem had swelled greatly, turning his pride into a massive ego. His Saiyan contemporaries had noticed it, and while they weren't Raditz's biggest fans, both of his partners were fully aware of the fact that the low-class Saiyan was on a spiraling path - one that would change him completely for the worse.

Part of the idea of dignity was being able not to plead and beg, yet for someone who truly thought of himself as this prideful, macho man, the truth was that all Raditz had done over the years was beg for people to find Saiyan survivors, to find someone who he could truly connect with and fight alongside. It had taken some time, but someone, a doctor who constantly tended to his injuries, had finally found the location of a Saiyan; pleased, Raditz decided that he would come to this pathetic mudball in the "space boonies," as his Saiyan comrades had referred to it as. T

he veteran solider's objective on this mission? Searching and finding his younger brother, who went by the name of Kakarot.

Sent to Earth as a baby and tasked with the objective of eliminating a race where the strongest known power level was in the low 300s, the Saiyan known as Kakarot would have had to be alive; after all, he was part of the strongest warrior race in the galaxy, and nothing could dare to stop the son of Bardock. If Kakarot was anything like Raditz, perhaps he let a couple of survivors live not out of mercy, but out of sheer joy upon hunting and torturing them.

As soon as Raditz had learned about Kakarot being on Earth, the long-haired fighter experienced a small amount of joy for what was the first time in a long time. Not only would he have another Saiyan to fight alongside him, but it was his brother, his kin. For a Saiyan warrior like Raditz, there were few better feelings in the world than to fight alongside your siblings in the heat of battle. With Raditz's older brother Turles presumably dead, along with every other Saiyan, this made the chance to find Kakarot even more special.

In fact, the opportunity to find and retrieve Kakarot so enticing that Raditz had been bold enough to bolt from his orders to purge a small, bug-infested planet just to find his brother. Saiyans refused to acknowledge emotional terms like love and affection, but Raditz definitely felt something for his unknown brother.  
And when Raditz stared his brother in the face for the first time, on some island in the middle of nowhere, he took note of the fact that he resembled Bardock in all but name and clothing, which pleased him even more. After all, Bardock was always known as one of the strongest low-class Saiyans, so there was justified reason for the alien fighter to be optimistic.

Just like old times, there would be a dynamic duo of Saiyan brothers. Instead of it being Raditz and Turles, however, Raditz would be joined by Kakarot. The stars would soon know the names of Raditz and Kakarot, the legendary Saiyan conquerors who ruled the galaxy with an iron might.

Of course, Raditz would soon learn that fate had decided to truly smack him in the face.

While Kakarot was still alive, he wasn't Kakarot. The man that Raditz had found was nothing like the Kakarot that the long-haired warrior had envisioned at all. What Raditz was imagining was a tall, proud warrior who was as fight-loving, audacious, and powerful – if not more powerful – as himself. Instead, Kakarot was peace-loving, nice, and worst of all…he no longer went by the name of Kakarot.

His name was "Goku" and not only had he not completed his objective and purged Earth, but he fancied himself an Earthling, not a Saiyan. It was almost as if Kakarot was an alter ego that this Goku had thrown to the side proudly, embracing his adopted heritage instead of his true race. It disgusted Raditz immensely, to the point where he almost had thrown up into the water that kept rolling onto the beach he stood on.

All it took for Kakarot's Saiyan side to come out, actually, was Raditz kidnapping his weakling son. It was pitiful - Raditz could attack Kakarot and his bald friend with intentions of killing both and taking the blue-haired wench as his mate, but it took kidnapping his son to get a real reaction.

Earlier, Raditz had mused to himself that at the age that Kakarot's brat was at (roughly four years old, the Saiyan presumed), the boy would have already have purged several planets and murdered hundreds of thousands that stood in his way. Without a doubt, the boy would have been a fit Saiyan warrior.

Yet, and he would dare never admit it, there was a small part of Raditz that was impressed at his little brother's resilience and determination. It was annoying, for sure, but as he stared at the bloody, near-beaten form of Kakarot, Raditz realized that even though the youngest son of Bardock claimed he wasn't Saiyan, there was no doubt that his true Saiyan side came out in battles.

_It truly is a damn shame that Kakarot didn't wish to join me…sad, he would have made a powerful recruit in Frieza's army_, Raditz said to himself, frowning at the thought of the Arcosian tyrant. _He could have easily helped us destroy that heartless monster._

"Yah!" a tired voice snapped Raditz out of his inner monologue. Returning to reality, the long-haired Saiyan saw his brother running at him like an Olympic sprinter out of the gate, his fist reared back and a determined look on his face. Sweat ran down Goku's face and body, giving him the appearance of someone who had just fallen into a pool full of water.

When Goku appeared in front of Raditz, the older Saiyan smirked as his orange-clad brother extended his fist, hoping that he could get in the first good hit of the day on his mighty opponent. Having put all of his strength into this one punch, Goku was flabbergasted to see Raditz, nonchalantly, grab his fist mid attack and preventing the attack from following through.

"Y-you did that like it was nothing!" Goku exclaimed, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. For a fighter that only hours ago bore the title of "world's strongest," Goku was amazed to be dueling someone of a higher power. "You monster, let go of me!"

"Hahaha! And why, brother, would I do that? Please, tell me why I'd let go," Raditz laughed as he watched his younger brother try to pathetically squirm free of his grip.

"You're not my brother, Raditz. You're a monster, and I'd be embarrassed to call you my brother! Hell, I am embarrassed to call you my brother. All you do is hurt people, with no sense of pity or empathy!" Goku cried, ignoring the sound of crunching in his hand. As the Earth's protector opened his mouth again, presumably with intentions of insulting his older brother once more, Raditz reared back and sent his other fist into Goku's chest with all his might.

Held in place by his older brother's hand, Goku was unable to defend himself from Raditz's ruthless attack. As a result from the punch, Goku spat crimson colored blood out involuntarily, making a whimpering noise as he did so. When is this gonna end? Goku wondered to himself, accidentally swallowing a drop of blood that remained on his tongue. I have to stop this!

Unfortunately, just as Goku wanted a reprieve, Raditz picked him up by his torn gi, lifted him high with ease, and held him in the sky. "How dare you!" Raditz yelled, squeezing tighter on Goku's hand. The Earth-raised Saiyan yelped in pain, blood still running down his mouth, but Raditz wouldn't budge and give in to his brother's obvious desire to be let go.

"How dare you say to me, 'you're not my brother' after I risked my life to come here!" the armored warrior shouted, alerting nearby birds and animals to his presence. "You should be thanking me for even having the balls to try this! You could have prevented this, you low-class buffoon! I offered you the chance to join me on my galactic conquest, Kakarot. Just imagine the power that we'd have if we worked together! We could rule the galaxy!"

As he concluded talking, Raditz smirked, evidently attracted to the idea that he had just envisioned in his head. But then, as reality set in, the smirk vanished just as quickly as it had appeared - replacing it was a menacing scowl that intimidated even Earth's savior.

"Instead, you decided to blame me for your weak power level and your inability to save your son. If you had just taken me up on my opportunity, not only would your son be fine, but he could have joined us! The truth is, little brother, you're a pathetic Saiyan," Raditz snarled, his nails tightly digging into his hands.

While Goku was no psychologist, the palm-tree haired warrior thought that he detected hurt in Raditz's voice, but surely that couldn't be. Monsters were incapable of feelings, Goku had learned throughout his adventures.

Angered by the display, Raditz spat a glob of saliva onto his brother, who grimaced upon impact. "I take that back, actually. Kakarot, you're no Saiyan."

The Spinach Wastes were now silent aside from the far off sounds of animals having the common sense to get away from the battle. "I wouldn't want to be…" Goku muttered, looking his brother dead in the eyes. Onyx met onyx, and Saiyan met Saiyan. "You're right, Raditz, I'm not a Saiyan, and I never will be. From what I've seen of the Saiyans, they're monsters - heartless ones at that. Raditz, I'm an Earthling, and I take pride in that!"

Raditz grit his teeth, growling like a wild beast. By Kakarot putting those thoughts into words, he singlehandedly ended any chances of Raditz forgiving him, or even sparing him in battle. "Is that so?" the long-haired fighter questioned, tightening his grip on Goku. In one fluid motion, Raditz lobbed Goku up in the sky like a softball, grabbed his brother by the hair, and smacked him down to the ground with a loud BOOM!

* * *

"Damn it, Goku!" The Saiyan's teammate, Piccolo, yelled from his far-off spot on the battlefield. Currently located in a patch of short grass, the emerald-skinned warrior stood with his lone arm near his forehead, continuing to charge his 'ultimate' attack. Large beads of sweat ran down Piccolo's forehead as he frowned at the scene in front of him.

For eight years, the spawn of Demon King Piccolo trained daily in order to achieve the mission he had been tasked with upon creation: the death of Son Goku. The day that Goku lay at Piccolo's feat, beaten with no more of a will to live, would be the day when Piccolo would truly feel some semblance of joy.

But today, joy and Piccolo were two things that weren't going to mix. As Piccolo watched the fight he had partaken in only minutes earlier, the sober realization set in that a stronger opponent was humiliating Goku, the spiky-haired abomination who had always seemed invincible and unbeatable.

Of course, it frustrated Piccolo that he wasn't that stronger opponent that beat Goku around like a punching bag. How could someone have appeared out of nowhere and played with Goku and Piccolo, the two strongest warriors on Earth, and humiliated them the way that he did? It was unfathomable, and Piccolo continued to be stunned to no end.

_I trained for this moment for five years, and the day that Goku is beat to a pulp, it's his own brother that does the dirty job I've been preparing for_, Piccolo thought, his anger pushed aside as he continued quietly savoring the feeling of energy surging through his body.

"You can't let him win, Son!" Piccolo cried loudly, drawing the attention of both Saiyans. Reflecting, Piccolo realized that he'd have never thought that he'd have rooting for Goku in any sort of fight - after all, the spiky-haired fighter was the sole reason that Piccolo had been created eight years ago - but drastic times called for drastic measures. Whoever had come up with the old saying, "the enemy of my enemy is my best friend" would have had a field day watching the battle in the Spinach Wastes.

"Haha, but on the contrary, Namekian, there's nothing that this weakling can do!" Raditz taunted, kicking Goku away. _Namekian_? Piccolo wondered to himself, before the sound of a bone breaking echoed through the wasteland, along with another moan from Goku. Piccolo may not have liked Goku, but even he couldn't resist flinching at the noise.

"You're a fool, Saiyan. Coming to Earth was the biggest mistake that you could have made," Piccolo grinned, fantasizing about ruthlessly snapping Raditz's neck as revenge for taking his arm. The Namekian warrior was really starting to hate this Raditz fellow even more than he hated Goku, which was odd, considering Goku had been the recipient of much hatred ever since his creation.

"I was born to rule Earth, and I was born to kill Son Goku; no armored weakling who has to resort to kidnapping is going to take those two away from me. This planet is mine to rule, so if you think that you can just come here, guns blazing and ready to take over Earth, then you're wrong!"

"Ruling a tiny, weak, and boring planet as this is something I don't think I'm too interested in, to be quite honest," Raditz remarked, a laugh escaping the throat Piccolo so badly wanted to puncture and destroy. "You know, maybe if this planet had something going for it, I'd consider it, but to rule this mudball now would be waste of time that I sadly don't have.

"I know that you must be anxious to die, green man, and your time will come, don't worry. I know that I'm definitely going to enjoy crushing your head beneath my boot so say your prayers now.

"Actually, on second thought, I'm going to need you to wait, because first, it's time for Kakarot to pay his debts," Raditz remarked, trying to get some kind of reaction from the one-armed Namekian. Intimidation was the name of the game that Raditz loved playing, and once again, he'd be a winner here.

Unfortunately for the Saiyan, he got none, other than a smirk from Piccolo. "You're a fool - it makes sense that you're related to Goku. If you're as strong as you say you are, then why are the two of us still alive? Why haven't you killed us, and run off with his son just yet?"

As Raditz prepared to answer, he was shut down by the purple-clothed creature. "I'll tell you why. It's because you're a coward, and you're a lot like my...predecessor," Piccolo stopped, thinking of the original King Piccolo and how he had used his power to hide his weakness. "You both have this belief, this idea that strength is all that matters. There's a reason why Goku and I are still alive; you're going to regret letting us live this long, Raditz. Your time is over, understand?"

Clearly surprised by Piccolo's outburst, Raditz remained quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking of a way to respond. What Raditz didn't want to admit, however, was that the way of thinking Piccolo had suggested was how the Saiyan thought earlier in his life, back as a young child in the Planet-Trade Organization. Strength and pride, to Raditz, were the only things that could get him through the life he was forced to live.

"Let me explain something to you, Namek. You know nothing about any of the nonsense that you just spat out," Raditz snarled, pointing his right index finger at the battle-worn demon king. "Even if you were to somehow defeat me today, my two Saiyan comrades will follow me to this planet. That may not sound like much to you, but they're both much stronger than me."

_Stronger than Raditz_? Piccolo thought, giant globs of sweat momentarily appearing on the back of his head. For all that Piccolo talked, even he knew that fighters stronger than Raditz might be too much to handle. "You lie."

Raditz grinned, noticing the sudden change in Piccolo's demeanor. "Why would I lie? They'll wipe you out, you and everything else on this planet! You're as good as dead! And if you think I'm a 'monster' without a heart, you'll love my friends. How sweet does victory really taste?"

_He's bluffing about them coming, I can see it. I have to finish this - if he actually has Saiyan comrades, then I have to make sure he can't alert them of our presence_, Piccolo told himself, narrowing his eyes at his foe. "How sweet does the blood in your mouth when I'm done with you taste?"

"Ughh," Goku moaned as he slowly rose from the ground, his dark black hair beautifully moving in the wind. The pain rushing through his body was unbearable, but Goku wouldn't back down - he just couldn't give up with everything that was at stake. He had been in this exact same spot before with King Piccolo, where the stakes were against him and his body wanted him to quit, but he wouldn't allow himself to give into the temptation of quitting.

"You…won't win. I have to save Gohan!"

"Gohan?" Raditz asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Gohan sounded like some kind of food, so why would Kakarot need to save food? Then, realizing that Kakarot meant his son, Raditz reared his head back and laughed. "You mean that pampered little brat you call a son? Please, you're not saving him from anything. To do that, you'd need to get past me, and if you have two brain cells that you could rub together, you'd realize that the chances of that happening are none! It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," replied Goku, taking a step forward. The blood on his arms and chest was beginning to dry, but the Saiyan was still in a world of pain. Regardless, he wouldn't give up; no way, no how. "And if you think I'm going to let you walk away with Gohan, then you're wrong, Raditz!"

Again, Raditz frowned at his brother's comment. His brother was an annoying pest, continuing to say the same things about how he would save his son and defeat him. Why couldn't Kakarot just realize that he was out of his league and that he should give up? Why continue to waste his time and walk right into the face of death? It didn't make sense!

"You mean that, don't you? I admit, brother, you've disappointed me greatly. Kakarot…I find it so ironic that you have that as a name. You wouldn't know this, of course, but in the Saiyan language, Kakarot means 'a great warrior' and you've been just the opposite."

Goku had no response to his brother's taunt, which wasn't shocking in the least bit. Still, Goku felt a little…odd, on the inside. Learning what his real birth name - no, what the name that he was addressed as by his brother – meant was strange, if only because he had never heard the name Kakarot before today.

Regardless of what his birth name was, he was Goku, not Kakarot. "A great warrior, huh? Looks like our parents could see the future," Goku chuckled, failing to notice Raditz's eyes enlarge to the size of saucers. Raditz silently asked himself how Kakarot could know about Bardock's supposed psychic abilities before shaking his head, bringing his focus back to the fight.

"Come now, Kakarot," Raditz said, his scowl turning upwards into a smirk and eyes returning to normal size. "It's time for you to die! Before I kill you, I just want to let you know something. You may be my brother, but you've proven to be quite irritating! However, it's upsetting I must kill one of the few Saiyans left in the galaxy."

"Why's that?" asked Goku, confused at Raditz's choice of words. The Earth-raised Saiyan kept his guard up, though, and glared at the long-haired fighter that he called his brother. "If you have no problems with killing me, then why are you 'upset' that you have to do it? You don't seem like the guy that would care about eliminating his brother if it was called for."

Sighing, Raditz grunted and took a step forward, now at eye level with his brother. "Well, Kakarot, counting you, there's four known Saiyans left in the galaxy. Four. That's less than the amount of people that were on that island I found you on. That's less than the amount of fingers I have on my hand." Now, Raditz paused to raise his hand, showing that he had five fingers, obviously more than four.

"I came here, hoping that I could find you so that you could join my comrades and I. Instead, my own brother tells me to leave and that I'm not his brother. Well let me tell you something, Kakarot. If you're not with me, then you're my enemy!" The ground shook as Raditz powered up briefly, allowing Goku to feel just how powerful his brother was. The brown soil beneath the two Saiyans shook, nearly causing Goku to fall over again.

"Well, if I can't have you, then I can at least take, what was his name, Gohan. I believe that your son will be an adequate replacement for you and a welcome addition to our army. Hahaha," Raditz quietly laughed, phasing out of Goku's sight. Looking around and trying to find his brother, Goku widened his eyes, got into a fighting stance, and tried to reach out with his ki, sensing for any fluctuations in Raditz's energy.

THACK!

The next thing Goku knew, there was a painful stab in his back, one so painful that he suddenly fell to both of his knees. The blood spilling out of his mouth fell onto the grass, making a noise akin to paint dropping. As hard as he wanted to stand and not fall, it was impossible, as the pain was just too much.

Looking up, Goku stared right into the menacing, onyx, eyes of his brother. "It's over, Kakarot. I didn't want it to come to this, but you allowed this to happen. I hope that you're ready to be sent to the next dimension!" Raditz said, a sense of pride sounding in his voice. The fighter bent down on one knee and put his hand an inch away from his brother's face, taking note of the fear that quickly appeared in Kakarot's eyes.

Seeing fear in someone's eyes always made Raditz's blood rush. To him, drawing fear from someone made him feel proud; it made him feel as if for a second, he was able to escape the label of weakling that had been bestowed on him by his comrades and his superiors. For over thirty years, he'd always been mocked because of his strength, so to win a fight that wasn't against, as his prince put it, "weaklings with power levels below fifty," Raditz was proving his worth - something he had been unable to do for years.

On the other spectrum, his younger brother was experiencing the opposite of pride. As much as it pained him to admit it, Goku had failed. He had been tasked with the job of defeating this alien invader, defeating the man who claimed to be his brother, and saving his son from his brother's clutches. Sadness echoed through him briefly as he realized that this was the end.

_Gohan, Chi-Chi...I'm so sorry_, Goku thought, a tear appearing in his eye as he imagined his beautiful family living without him; it was all because he hadn't been strong enough. As the Earth's greatest defender said his peace, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. From the slightest angle, Goku was able to notice Raditz's tail wagging – probably from excitement. Remembering something from his childhood, an idea came to Goku.

"Goodbye, brother."

Goku closed his eyes, much to Raditz's hidden anger. Kakarot feared death and didn't want to see the blast that would hit him, consume him, and then destroy him - Raditz nearly gagged at that fact; Saiyans feared nothing, especially not a death that they deserved! It was unheard of, but then again, this was the same Saiyan who enjoyed peace and justice.

In the moment of savoring his imminent victory, Raditz forgot to do the one thing he constantly preached in his fights: he took his eye off of the birdie. If he hadn't, he would have seen Goku bring his hands close to the center of his face, spreading his fingers towards his eyes in the process.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

The Solar Flare was always one of Goku's favorite techniques because it could be used at any time. The Solar Flare could blind an opponent with ease, and in the midst of battle when you were on the brink of defeat, a simple Solar Flare could turn the tide of the battle easily. That, luckily for Son Goku, was what happened here.

"AGH!" screeched Raditz, putting his hands to his eyes to fight the pain coming from his eyes. Even though he wore a scouter to protect his eye, Raditz was still blinded by Goku's technique - nothing could stop the sun's rays, of course. As Raditz stepped backwards, cursing to himself in the Saiyan language he had rarely spoken, his prey left the lion's den.

The arrogance and cockiness that Raditz had always possessed came back to bite him badly, as the Saiyan continued to clutch his eyes in agony. With his brother distracted, Goku, ignoring all of the pain in his body from his wounds, jumped up and grabbed Raditz by the tail, squeezing tightly like it was a rope he had to climb just to survive.

Raditz's screaming suddenly stopped as the pain in his eyes was replaced by pain everywhere. Biting his lip, he turned his head around to Kakarot and glared. Raditz had always been ridiculed by his Saiyan comrades for never taking the time to train his tail, and this was why - once his tail was squeezed, he lost all of the power that he had before.

"Huh? What did you…" Raditz, in the midst of agonizing, indescribable pain, asked when he saw the playful look on Goku's face.

"Look at that, I got your tail!" Goku exclaimed, holding the tail tightly. His strength quickly leaving him, Raditz fell to the ground face first, only being held up by his tail.

"Piccolo, do it!" Goku called over to his Namekian teammate, who stood in the same stance as before with a smirk similar to the Cheshire cat on his face and one stump of an arm hanging loosely.

"Heh, you asked for it, Goku. I hope that this Saiyan fool is ready," Piccolo mumbled, his fingers sparkling with the energy from his Special Beam Cannon. Designed to kill Goku, it was a perfect attack to kill Goku's brother; it was a brutal, spiraling beam that would leave Raditz on his deathbed, trying desperately to survive and to breath but failing miserably. As they felt their energy leave them and the feeling of suffocation begin from the blood loss, Piccolo would stand over them, laughing and taunting them for their weakness.

That was the type of death that Piccolo wanted Goku, his lifelong opponent, to suffer. Since the Tenkaichi Budokai five years ago, Piccolo thought about his death daily, even dreaming about it during his meditation periods. While Goku wouldn't be suffering that fate today, Raditz would suffice for now. After he took care of Raditz, Goku was next, and then planet Earth would be his to control.

"Let…me…go, brother. Please, spare me, Kakarot!" begged Raditz, but Goku would hear none of it.

"No way! I'm nothing like you, Raditz! You're not my brother! You've caused too much pain, and you just threatened me with death! What's to say that you won't do that again?" Goku questioned, squeezing so hard that his knuckles were turning a dark shade of blue.

"Please…let me go. If you do, I promise you, I'll leave this planet right now! I'll get in my pod and leave!" Raditz was showing his true colors now. When he had the advantage in battle, he was loud and ruthless, mocking his opponents to no end. Once Raditz was in a no-win situation, however, and he found himself on the losing end, that all would change - his cowardice and weakness, the ones that Piccolo had spoken of earlier, would come out.

For someone who prided himself on being a 'true' Saiyan, Raditz was nothing more than a coward at heart. The ironic part of that was true Saiyans never showed fear of any sorts or had any type of cowardice. "Please, Kakarot," Raditz begged in a weak voice, trying to get his way out of this predicament. Raditz's voice was so quiet, it sounded like he was nearly dying.

"No, Goku, you can't! He's only telling lies!" Piccolo screamed, trying to knock some sense into the Saiyan warrior he had teamed up with. Unfortunately for Piccolo, Goku was in his own little world, debating the morals of the decision he'd have to make.

_Maybe…maybe I should let him go. If he's living up to his word, then I don't see any reason to keep this up. Not to mention…he's my brother_, Goku thought internally, conflicting opinions running through his mind. All of the lessons about forgiveness and moving on that his adopted grandfather had told him were rushing back to him, and for a split second, Goku eased up on his hold of Raditz.

"NO!" Piccolo shouted, seeing Goku lessen his grip on the alien invader. The Namekian cursed both himself for not being ready to deliver the attack, and for Goku being foolish enough to let Raditz free from his hold. No...damn it Goku!

Feeling his tail become free and his power return, the look of agony on Raditz's face vanished once the Saiyan felt his strength return to him. Without a second to spare, the tall Saiyan delivered an elbow to his brother's face and dusted himself off while Goku fell to the grass.

"I can't believe you fell for something like that! You really are embarrassing, Kakarot," remarked Raditz as he slammed his boot down onto Goku's body, aiming specifically for his ribs.

"AHH!" Goku's screams carried all over the wasteland as his ribs were slowly crushed to miniscule pieces by Raditz, who was grinning evilly . Raising his foot high in the air again, Raditz stomped as hard as he could onto the same spot over and over again.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

With every stomp, Raditz intensified his power so that he could cause his younger brother the utmost pain. The bones continued to break and leave the formations that they were in; Goku involuntarily coughed up spats of crimson blood onto his chest as the pain continued.

"Rad...Raditz, stop!" Goku screamed, ready for the longest day of his life to be over. Yellow bruises started forming on the Saiyan once known as Kakarot's chest, and just as Goku moved to the side, Raditz kicked him for a final time; this kick nearly went through his brother's chest.

Panting, Goku lay on his back, staring into the menacing, laughing eyes of his smiling brother. Slowly, Goku realized that there'd be no more miracles, nothing to save him this time; the Earth-raised Saiyan, astoundingly, was all out of energy.

Raditz silently raised his boot again, smirked, and slammed it down onto Goku's right arm.

The sound of a bone cracking was the only noise in the area - the birds had quieted, the land animals had retreated, and the normally chatty Son Goku had been silenced. It was something that no one, not even Piccolo, was able ever to do.

Goku, the previously unbeatable fighter, the man who had saved the Earth from the dastardly Red Ribbon Army, the vicious Demon King Piccolo, and a rabbit who could turn people into carrots, had been defeated by his own brother. Humiliated and broken both physically and mentally, Son Goku lay on the grass, pain rushing through his body.

The next noise was a small whimper from Goku, who was just trying to stay conscious and not die from blood loss. Hearing the pathetic sound, Raditz scoffed and glared at his younger brother. "There will be no complaining from you, Kakarot, so I recommend that you be quiet." Rearing his boot back, the Saiyan kicked his brother in the same arm as hard as before. Goku's arm limply hung at his side, showing signs of serious injury. "Or else."

* * *

"Daddy!" Gohan screamed as loud as he could, but it was to no avail. The space pod that he was trapped in seemed to be soundproof; no one could hear what he said from the inside. The wall that prevented him from escaping to the outer world was frustrating for young Son Gohan, and his tiny fists ached from pounding against the door over and over again, desperately trying to get either his daddy or the green man to save him.

Alas, for poor Gohan, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The tall man, who evidently was Gohan's uncle (despite acting like the furthest thing from one), had kidnapped him and carried the young child away a prisoner. This wasn't the day that the tail-possessing child had envisioned when he had woken up at sunrise, anxious for the day ahead of him.

And up to his kidnapping, Gohan was having a great day! He got to meet his father's friends, shake hands with his father's martial arts master, ride on a talking turtle - it was the kind of day that Gohan would write home about. For Gohan, a child that would rarely leave the surrounding area of the 439 East District in Mount Paozu, getting to experience something that was new turned out to be something Gohan would forever remember.

Unfortunately for the studious boy, the day would be remembered for the wrong reasons. Just a short time into his fun day, Gohan's 'uncle' showed up. Gohan was terrified beyond belief at the tall, lanky, evil man that taunted his father. Gohan's daddy was supposed to be the strongest in the universe and a man who was afraid of nothing, so how was it that this mysterious stranger could strike such fear to both father and son?

Even though those outside the pod couldn't hear young Gohan, he could hear them, and he definitely heard his father's cries and pleas for help.  
It angered Gohan greatly, watching his father be brutally tortured in front of him; no child should ever have to have seen what Gohan had seen on this October day. The child felt helpless, almost like he was the reason that his father was on the brink of death. If he hadn't gone and gotten himself kidnapped, the father and son duo would be back in their quiet home in the mountains, Gohan reading, Goku eating, and Chi-Chi yelling at them both.

CRACK!

Even from his position in the pod, Gohan could hear the pain-filled screams from his father; it was almost as if the two were connected, as Gohan shook in fear and horror. His uncle's loud, mean, laughs sounded like they were echoing in the pod and in the boy's head - it was torture for Gohan.

"Dad…Daddy!" Gohan yelled at the top of his lungs, smashing his fists against the glass as fast as he could, hoping to try to make a dent in his uncle's spaceship. Dried tears and snot filled his now crimson-colored face, while the Dragon Ball on top of his hat was shaking rapidly.

"I can't break through…" Gohan whispered, the hope in his mind just seconds prior vanishing. Gohan wasn't his father - he couldn't do the impossible and break through an impenetrable barrier.

Suddenly, something snapped in the young half-breed. The self-control that he had desperately been holding onto was destroyed, being cut like a rope with the sharpest scissors in the universe. Seeing his father's arm kicked once more was too much for Son Gohan - the child's fists clenched, his onyx pupils vanished, and a barely visible aura began to surround the boy…

* * *

"Yes, Kakarot! Cry in pain! This is the end for you, my brother! I hope that you're enjoying this, green man, because you're next!" Raditz laughed as he took pleasure in hearing his brother's cries of agony. For every time Goku's voice rose, pleading for his brother to stop, Raditz increased the power of his attacks.

Suddenly, and to everyone's evident surprise, the scouter on Raditz's face started to beep loudly. Pressing a button, Raditz decided to see what it was saying.  
"Hmmm...a power level of 1300!? What, where?" Raditz yelled in a mixture of shock and curiosity. Anyone who had a power level of 1300 was stronger than him - how could that be?! All of a sudden, a loud noise came from the space pod that was currently in the middle of the wasteland.

Appearing out of nowhere, with a face displaying a level of anger Raditz had never seen before, was the figure of Goku's young son. "LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!" Gohan yelled, breaking the space pod and jumping out. His young face filled with dry tears and snot, Gohan clenched his fists angrily while glaring at his supposed uncle. His trademark hat – the one with the Dragon Ball on top – fell softly to the ground.

"What? You again? I don't believe it!" Raditz was shocked, as was everyone else on the battlefield. "It can't be!" the Saiyan continued, taking his boot off of Goku's body and backing up.

"Goku, look, over by the crater! It's your son!" Piccolo cried out in amazement, not taking his eyes off Raditz.

"Go…han…" Goku said weakly, his vision fading in and out from the combination of blood loss and his injuries. It was hard for the Saiyan to stay awake, let alone see his son. "Gohan, listen…I can't get up right now! You need to get out of here now! RUN! GO!"

"W-what? A power level 1370! That's impossible for a kid! A-and w-what's this? It's still going up!?" Raditz yelled in astonishment The arrogant fighter was about ready to break his scouter in frustration as he figured out that the little kid in the odd as all hell outfit, the same kid who had a power level of five last time he checked, had somehow, someway, become stronger than him - Raditz.

Inconceivable.

A red aura began to surround Gohan as he continued to whimper and sob. The long-haired boy was ready to save his father, and show his uncle that the Son family was not to be messed with. He may have been five, and he may never have fought a day in his life (aside from with a butterfly), but he would save his daddy!

"STOP IT! LEAVE MY DAD ALONE!" Gohan screamed at the top of his lungs, sprinting towards his uncle and jumping into the air with a flare. His bright aura carrying him, the powerful Gohan slammed harshly into Raditz's temple.

All of a sudden, there was a loud crack, and Raditz's body lurched back. After a short moment filled with complete silence, the Saiyan warrior fell to the ground with a heavy thud and lay still.

And just like that, the fight for Earth had ended…

* * *

_Welcome to Survival Instinct! This is the re-branding, of sorts, of a fic that I published late last summer/early last fall known as Trials and Tribulations. Main premise of this is Raditz gets amnesia because of Gohan hitting him in the temple instead of the chest; by losing his memory, the whole Dragon Ball Z universe as you know it changes._

_When I uploaded this, it was June 5th, 2014 - that's the night before my 17th birthday. If you're reading this on the night it was published or the following day, and you want to wish me happy birthday, go for it. :D In the meantime, I'll be chilling. *puts on party hat*_

_What I'm excited to do with this fic is to not make it a fic where Raditz almost instantly becomes redeemed and turns into this badass, Earth-loving, hero. Instead, this is a story where you see the psyche of one of the galaxy's most ruthless, heartless, creatures. Then again, you'll see that for Vegeta too...perhaps. No spoilers :P_

_I'm just going to put it out here – this isn't your typical Saiyan Saga. It's not going to be a few chapters of training and then the big fight. If you're expecting Nappa and Vegeta to show up around chapter six or so, I'm afraid that's not happening here. I'm doing the Saiyan Arc a lot differently – we'll see a movie villain in the arc, for example._

_I'm also going to stress this right off of the bat, so here we go. While I do have chapters written ahead, I do have a life outside of FFN - namely a job (sports journalist) and high school student. So if I don't update for a couple of weeks, don't worry. It just means that I'm probably tending to things outside of FFN; please don't beg for updates, haha, it's not worth it. I will say that I'll update chapter two a week from today (6/13/14), and then the week after I'm done with school. _

_And before it's asked, yes, I'm doing power levels. But, that doesn't mean that they'll determine who wins the fight. Look, if fighter A has a PL of 10,000 and fighter B has a PL of 7,000, that doesn't mean fighter A will win every time. Something I try to do is have fights won on skill and cunningness, not a number._

_Power Levels:_  
_Goku: 416_  
_Piccolo: 408_  
_Raditz: 1200_  
_Gohan: 5_  
_Gohan's headbutt: 1370_

_Finally, I don't ask for much, but can all of my readers go over to FireStorm1991's page and send her best wishes. Storm is my beta, and she lost her father a short time ago in a car crash. She is an amazing person, so if you could check out her fics, leave a review, something like that, I know for a fact that not only would she appreciate it, but I would as well. Not only is she a very talented writer (nudge, she's better than me by a long shot), but she's also one of my best friends. Thank you. :)_

_Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll join on the FP train as we ride through Survival Instinct!_


	2. Chapter Two: Wake Me Up

Saiyan Saga (Raditz Arc) - Part Two: Wake Me Up

"STOP IT! LEAVE MY DAD ALONE!" Gohan screamed, running towards Raditz and jumping into the air. With his aura carrying him, Gohan slammed harshly into Raditz's temple. There was a loud crack - and it wasn't just the green scouter outfitted on Raditz's face - and Raditz's body lurched back. After a short moment of complete silence, the long-haired fighter's knees buckled out from under him; Raditz fell to the ground with a heavy thud and lay still.

And just like that, the three-way fight between the Earth's protector, Son Goku, the reincarnated demon king that was Piccolo Junior, and the evil Saiyan known as Raditz had ended…

"W-what?" questioned Piccolo, his gaze focusing on his downed opponent. In a matter of seconds, the seemingly invincible Raditz had gone from torturing his younger brother to unconscious. All at the hands of a weakling child, no less. "What the hell just happened?"

"I...don't know," answered Goku, coughing as air returned to his bruised lungs. "Gohan...how'd he do that? He saved us!"

"He saved you!" Piccolo loudly corrected, sneering at his rival. It had been Goku's stupidity to loosen his grip on Raditz that even caused the Earth-raised fighter to end up in his current condition; of course, Piccolo would never admit that the only reason why he was still even in this dimension was because of the oddly dressed, long-haired brat that was Son Gohan.

"I would have killed him with my attack; you decided to be naïve and stop holding onto his tail so tightly! Had you not done that, I would have been able to end his pathetic life with ease." The demon turned around, bringing the one arm he had left tight to his chest, as well as shutting his eyes.

Goku laughed weakly, cringing as he started fighting off the pain returning to his ribs. Even as the pain in his body kept increasing, it didn't stop the palm-tree haired warrior from raising his head. "That's...a good point, I guess. But notice what happens when we work together? I think we make a pretty good team!"

Snorting, Piccolo didn't even bother to turn around. What Goku had just suggested was absurd, ludicrous even! "Yeah, a great team. We're the dynamic duo of Earth. By the way, today changes nothing between us, Son. We partnered up to combat a mutual foe, but there still will be a day where you lie near dead at my feet, begging me for mercy and a chance to live."

"I'm waiting for that day, Piccolo." Goku spoke in a more serious tone, narrowing his eyes at the demon's back. "But, thank you for helping me get my son back. I owe you one."

"You owe me nothing," remarked Piccolo, making his way towards the sleeping form of Gohan. Standing above Goku's son, a smirk appeared on the green-skinned creature's face. "Besides, maybe I should take this kid and train him on my own. He knocked your brother out in one hit and it looks like he has serious potential in him."

"Don't do that." Now, Goku's voice was commanding, a tone that Piccolo had never heard from the man he despised with a passion rivaled by few. _If Goku had acted like this more_, Piccolo said to himself, _maybe there wouldn't be a problem_. "Gohan's a little kid, and there's no way he's going to be a fighter. Maybe I'll teach him the basics, but after today, I want him to-"

"Your loss," Piccolo said, cutting Goku off mid sentence. "Pamper him as much as you want, but keep in mind that you're making a mistake. Just remember - I won't always be there to save your ass, Son."

"Understood," replied Goku, trying to get up onto his feet. After a couple of tries - all of which were unsuccessful, embarrassing, and resulted in him hitting the ground with a soft THUD - the Saiyan found a way to stand on his feet. It wasn't perfect posture, but considering the shape Goku was in, it was more than adequate.

"Damn, I was hoping that you wouldn't get up. I could have just put you out of your misery then and there," remarked Piccolo, the smirk remaining on his face. Even in his injured state, Goku was able to detect sarcasm in Piccolo's tone. "Speaking of putting weaklings out of their misery, say goodbye to your brother. He fought valiantly, but it's time for him to die."

Say goodbye to his brother? Time for him to die? That could only mean…"Raditz is alive?!" Goku asked, a cold breeze running across his neck. Just saying the name of the Saiyan invader caused Son Goku's broken ribs to ache and his damaged hand to twinge in pain .

"Evidently, yes. He's unconscious, but alive." Piccolo strolled around the body, silently taking note of the little signs of damage he and Goku had inflicted. _Embarassing! Unbelievable that Son and I did absolutely nothing to this monster_! the demon thought angrily, his emerald-colored fingers wrapping around each other.

"You sure he's alive, Piccolo?" queried Goku, slowly limping behind his rival. The Earth's greatest defender made sure to keep an eye on Piccolo - if the reincarnated demon king was to make any sorts of sneak attack on him, Goku would be ready.

Looking down, Goku truly saw how beat up he was: yellow bruises lined his skin, dried cuts surrounded both arms, it even appeared that a bone was sticking out! _I wish I had a Senzu Bean_, thought the Earth-raised warrior, his mouth-watering immediately upon thinking of the delightful, tiny, green bean.

"You can sense energy, so use that to your benefit," Piccolo gruffly ordered, not even bothering to look at the beaten Saiyan behind him. "If you took the time to stop being distracted and to stop asking stupid questions, you'd realize that yes, your brother is alive. Be on your guard, Son. He could be playing some sort of trick on us, like playing dead or something," added the Namekian.

Suddenly, Goku's rival stopped in place and screamed as a new arm suddenly appeared, replacing the old one; feeling the urge to throw up, Goku looked away, instead directing his eyes to the green grass below.

"You've never seen something like that?" grinned Piccolo, seemingly taking amusement in Goku's reaction to his regenerative abilities. Lavender-colored blood dripped to the ground, even after the new arm settled in its place.

"N-no," replied Goku quietly, fighting the desire to go to sleep. It seemed that Son Goku was coming closer to succumbing to his wounds, but he wouldn't allow that to happen. Most men would already be dead by this point, so the fact that Goku was alive, let alone standing, at this post was a testament to his never-breaking will. Thinking of just the perfect way to stay awake, Goku decided to feast his eyes on his older brother before quickly regretting that idea. A look of fear and shock plastered on Raditz's face, it was clear that the fellow Saiyan had no idea what - or, in this case, who - had even hit him.

"Raditz…I'm sorry that I never got to know you. I'm sorry that I wasn't the Saiyan you were expecting, and I'm sorry that things ended up how they did. I would have loved a rematch with you, or to beat you on my own, but perhaps one day, we'll meet again!'" Goku said, closing his brother's eyes and trying not to let a tear fall out of his own.

Even after all the evil his brother had done in the roughly hour and a half that they had known each other, Goku's kindness still showed. Family was family, so while Raditz wasn't the brother Goku had ever dreamed of having, the adopted child of Son Gohan wasn't going to ignore the fact they were still blood.

"Alright, you've said your goodbyes, Goku! Now, it's time to end this whole debacle." Piccolo had an emotionless, blank look on his face while he extended a hand forward. Yellow-colored energy showed in the palm of the emerald-colored warrior; for every second that passed by, the energy enlarged...and enlarged...and enlarged.

"Wait, you're gonna kill him?" Goku questioned, his eyes snapping open. Now, there was no way that Earth's protector was going to fall asleep; just hearing the tone in the demon's voice brought Goku's full attention back to the task at hand. "Why would we do that?"

"Is that a joke?" snorted Piccolo, grinning as his blast kept growing. "This is a joke, right? In case you took a blow to the head and forgot what happened not even five minutes ago, this Saiyan, is a monster and nearly killed both of us."

Goku nodded, looking at his brother's still face again. For someone that was so menacing and vile, Raditz looked quite peaceful in his unconscious state. "Yeah, that's a good point...b-but he didn't kill anyone or anything!" At least, I hope he didn't… "Besides, killing a downed opponent is wrong, plain wrong. Don't you have a moral code?"

Piccolo's jaw went slack at that comment. "I hope you're joking. You're telling me that I shouldn't end this fool's life because he's unconscious? Goku, this is the same man that took your damn son! He's why you're in the shape that you are right now!"

"But he's not dead yet, right?" Goku retorted, receiving a quick nod from his Namekian teammate. "Piccolo, we don't kill the innocent. I know what he did, and I'm sure that he's not going to regret it when he wakes up, but killing someone who can't fight back makes us just as bad as him."

"You can't call him innocent," Piccolo snarled, narrowing his onyx eyes at the unconscious, unaware Raditz. "Goku, let me ask you this. Let's say that Raditz was awake right now, and I had the opportunity to kill him. Would you have a problem then?"

Taking a second to think, Goku played the scenario in his head; he could see Piccolo firing an attack at Raditz, piercing his armor and sending him to the next dimension. "If he was conscious and putting us in danger, then it's a completely different story. If five years ago, I had chosen to kill you when you were unconscious - when I gave you the senzu bean - instead of during the fight itself, you don't think there's a difference?"

Sighing, Piccolo stepped forward and crossed his arms together. While he didn't say anything out loud yet, the fighter who once went by the name of 'Majunior' silently asked himself how long this debate was going to take place for. "Goku, you and I both know that what you're saying right now is pointless. Think for a second - I know that it may be somewhat tough with you, but just think. This man right here, the one that you're defending, he not only tried to kill you, but he wanted to kidnap your son.

"That's not even factoring in that he attacked that bald fool you call a friend, and probably would have killed everyone on that island had he not taken the runt," Piccolo added, before pausing to look at Son Gohan, the boy responsible for Earth's victory against the Saiyan menace. Already, a red mark was forming on Gohan's temple, right where his skull had collided with his uncle's. Kid's going to wake up in the morning and feel some major pain.

"I know," Goku replied dejectedly, slowly becoming convinced that his argument wasn't going to make much progress with Piccolo. Perhaps if he was arguing about this with Krillin or Yamcha, two of his lifelong friends who would understand where the Saiyan was coming from, Goku would make some headway, but not here.

Satisfied with the fact Goku was on his way to realizing he wouldn't win this fight, Piccolo waved his hand in front of him; immediately, the Namekian's signature white weighted clothing, complete with turban and cape, appeared on the former demon king's body. "Much better," Piccolo quietly mused, giving his full attention back to the Saiyan family he loathed with all of his heart.

"Well, I hate to remind you, Piccolo, but didn't Raditz mention that he had two Saiyan comrades?"

_"Let me explain something to you, Namek. You know nothing about any of the nonsense that you just spat out. Even if you were to somehow defeat me today, my two Saiyan comrades will follow me to this planet. That may not sound like much to you, but they're both much stronger than me."_

_"You lie."_

_"Why would I lie? They'll wipe you out, you and everything else on this planet! You're as good as dead! And if you think I'm a 'monster' without a heart, you'll love my friends. How sweet does victory really taste?"_

Piccolo scowled, having quickly forgotten about Raditz's 'friends' during his debate with Goku about killing the currently unconscious Saiyan that lay in between them. Just imagining two more Saiyan monsters, ones stronger than Raditz no less, was enough to infuriate Piccolo. "He did say that, yes. For a minute, I thought he was bluffing, trying to intimidate us, but there was this look in his eyes - a look of complete glee, and I could tell he was serious. Damn it!

"I thought you were unconscious when Raditz said that...how'd you know that your brother had, as you both put it, two Saiyan comrades?" Piccolo questioned, remembering the sight of Son Goku, sprawled on the green grass as the Namek and alien invader argued. The former demon king was suspicious of how Goku would know his brother had two partners, especially when Raditz hadn't brought it up at all on that old man's island.

Chuckling, Goku put a hand behind his head and rubbed his black hair. "Nah, wasn't knocked out, but I was on the brink of passing out. Hearing him say that woke me up - I wasn't going to lay down and die once he mentioned he had backup."

A sly smirk appeared on Piccolo's face, and Goku noted that it appeared to be not one of ill intention or malice. _Perhaps the good side of Piccolo was coming out_, Goku thought to himself.

"You've always been like that, Son. Too stupid to know when to quit...alright, here's the deal. If he indeed has backup, we should end him now and make sure that he can't contact them again."

Goku shook his head in disagreement. "What do you mean? Wouldn't it be smarter just to bring him someplace and, you know, ask him about his partners? There's no point in killing him - no one has to die here."

"And what, pray tell, happens if he doesn't want to give us any answers? Or, what if he wakes up and tries to kill us then?" Piccolo retorted, imagining Raditz leaping like a wild animal at Goku and ripping open his jugular. No one was taking Piccolo Junior's kill, and the demon king would do anything to make sure of that. "I hate to break it to you, Goku, but let's say I listen to you and spare him - you do realize that this isn't a normal human weakling, right? This is a threat, and not acting on it could be the death of us."

"Isn't there some way that we can spare him?" Goku inquired, truly wanting to avoid killing his brother.

"No."

"Come on! What if this was your brother?" Goku wondered, an image of the ruthless demon, Tambourine, appearing in his mind; the Saiyan's blood boiled as he remembered seeing Krillin's cold, dead body at the hands of Tambourine. _Would Piccolo and Tambourine be brothers?_

"I don't have a brother," Piccolo shot back, even as a voice in his head told him the opposite. "Whatever demon spawns that the original Piccolo made, those aren't my brothers."

_Well, there goes that argument_, Goku thought silently, his hands automatically clenching as he thought of Piccolo's father's creatures. "Ok, let me think for a second. Can't we handcuff him or something?"

"No." Piccolo sighed, beginning to get frustrated with Goku and his pleas for peace. "You and I both know he'd break out of that in a heartbeat. Like I just said, this is a Saiyan 'warrior', not one of the foolish humans you'd see at the tournament." And who I will soon rule, Piccolo quietly added to himself.

"What about cuffing him with our energy? That's gotta be possible, right?" Goku was spouting ideas off the top of his head to save Raditz; there had to be a way to convince Piccolo to spare him. "We could just manipulate our energy a certain way to put rings around him, and then he's all locked up."

_That's...not a bad idea_, Piccolo said to himself, disappointed that he hadn't thought of that plan earlier. _I could have done that to Goku years ago_! "If either of us knew how to do that, then I'd say we could try it. But seeing as you sound like you don't know how to do it, and I admittedly have never thought of that technique, we're out of luck."

"There's gotta be some way!" Goku shouted, limping in front of his fallen brother. If Piccolo was going to kill Raditz, he'd have to go through Goku...something the Saiyan knew Piccolo would do without a second thought. "Piccolo, I know that you're trying to maintain your pride and all, but you even admitted before that he wasn't bluffing about backup. Wouldn't it make sense to bring him somewhere, and ask him about his partners so we know what we're dealing with?"

"Goku, you fool, the two of us combined couldn't take him down!" Piccolo yelled back, a thick vein appearing on his temple. "We won because your son got a lucky hit on him that knocked him flat on his feet. When he wakes up, he's going to try to kill us both and take your son again - or worse. Would you really feel comfortable with yourself in the next dimension knowing that it was because of your naïvety and foolishness that the Earth was lost? Wake up, you goddamn moron!"

After a couple seconds of silence, the Namekian took a deep breath. "Believe me," Piccolo said in a quieter voice, his tone much calmer. "As much as I would love to bring him somewhere in hopes of extracting my revenge for the way he humiliated me today, I'm smart enough to realize that keeping him alive right now would mean the end of my pursuit of ruling Earth. We can't keep him alive, Goku!"

"Killing him means that we wouldn't have any idea about his backup," Goku argued, a ripped piece of his gi falling to the ground. "Are you really willing to take that chance, Piccolo?"

While the Earth-raised Saiyan and Demon King stared each other down, each arguing to get their point across, the eyes of an unconscious, long-haired, alien warrior were fluttering open beneath them…

* * *

After a few minutes of being unconscious, Raditz slowly began to feel himself coming to. His eyes opening for the first time in minutes, the first thing the armored warrior heard was a loud THUMP noise; to his surprise, the Saiyan's heart was beating a mile a minute.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

Ugh...what happened_?_ the Saiyan thought, doing his best to at least try to remember how he had ended up in this condition. But...there was nothing; Raditz could remember absolutely nothing! Clutching his skull, the alien fighter shook his head, hoping his memory would return to him. Alas, for the veteran soldier, there was no such luck.

_Damn...where am I? Why can't I remember_? Raditz cursed himself for his inability to recall anything. Hearing loud voices talking above him, Raditz's eyes traveled upwards, where he saw two figures arguing with each other. Even with the pain radiating from his brain, Raditz could still make out exactly what the figures looked like.

One was a green-skinned creature, attired in a purple and black fighting outfit with a cape flowing from the back. His face covered in vibrant red and purple blood, the being immediately gave off a bad vibe to Raditz. It was almost as if this man (or whatever it happened to be) was a demon straight from the dark depths of Hell. His hand was extended towards Raditz, but the long-haired man was confused as to why exactly it was like that.

The second figure, however, made Raditz do a double take, almost as if he needed to re-see something. The first thing Raditz thought when he laid his eyes on the figure was pity. Wearing a torn, orange shirt, this light-skinned person appeared to have unkempt hair seemingly spiking up from all sides, but that wasn't what made Raditz shudder in disgust.

Yellow-colored bruises ran up and down the figure's skin, while dried blood seemed to be absolutely everywhere on this poor man. There was even a discolored mark where a black eye would normally be located! The man's right arm seemed to be broken, hanging limply at his side like a destroyed tree branch; what amazed Raditz the most, however, was just the sheer fact that this man was standing.

"I wonder what happened to him...he's not looking too good," voiced Raditz out loud, finding his voice at long last. Suddenly, both figures above ceased their arguing and stared down at him.

Once he comprehended the words that came out of the Saiyan's mouth, Piccolo's face shifted

from an arguing one to a bemused one within milliseconds. "Well, look who decided to wake up!"

Piccolo said, a dark and sinister tone in his voice. Raditz had no idea who this green man was, but he knew off the bat that this creature terrified him immensely. "I hope that you enjoyed your nap, because I'm about to give you a permanent one.

"Did you just say, 'I wonder what happened to him?' You're kidding, right?" wondered Piccolo, his dark fighting outfit vibrantly reflecting in the bright October sun.

"No," was Raditz's simple reply. His eyes darted to the green man first, then to the spiky-haired fighter. What was happening? "Who are you? Where am I?"

If Piccolo found any humor in Raditz's statement, he didn't show any; his onyx eyes instead drove sharp daggers into Raditz. "Funny joke, except I'm not laughing."

Raditz cocked his head to the side, confused. "But I'm not joking. I don't at all know what's going on."

"This isn't amusing. You really don't remember?" Piccolo growled, a vein popping out on his forehead in frustration. Even though the demon suspected Raditz's ploy to be a bluff, something was telling him to keep his guard on for an attack any second.

"Nope."

_This is weird_...Goku thought, using his energy sensing abilities that he had learned from Kami when the Earth's guardian had trained him to detect if his brother was lying or not. Much to Goku's shock, there was no sense of deceit or distrust echoing from Raditz's aura. "Hey," the fighter said softly, getting Raditz's attention.

"What's the last thing that you remember?" asked Goku, trying to determine if Raditz had indeed suffered memory loss.

Closing his eyes, Raditz tried once more to remember something, anything! Yet again, sadly, it failed. "I...don't know," admitted Raditz, bowing his head in shame. Putting his mind to the test again, the wild-haired Saiyan did his best to remember the slightest thing.

Suddenly, a faint gasp escaped Raditz's mouth, and the alien intruder fell to the ground again, back in the same unconscious state he was in not five minutes ago.

"What the hell was that?"

* * *

"Krillin, how's Goku doing? What about Gohan?" Bulma asked, panicked as she flew her capsule ship across the clear blue sky. While in most cases she'd have someone else piloting - the Capsule Corp. heiress couldn't be counted on to do everything, of course - she had no fate in Krillin or Master Roshi flying her prized ship.

"Gee, maybe if you could sense energy too, you'd know," Krillin sarcastically muttered to himself, his bald head reflecting from the sun's rays. "I sense two big powers, and one of them's Goku - I know his energy like the back of my hand. The other is around Goku's level, but not quite as strong, so I'm guessing that's Piccolo."

Behind his sunglasses, Master Roshi's eyes enlarged as he processed his former student's words.

"And what of Goku's brother? If Goku and Piccolo are still alive, then I wonder what happened to that Raditz fellow."

Krillin tried again, closing his eyes and focusing, but there was no sign of Raditz's massive energy. "I got nothing. Maybe they sent him running back to wherever he came from...good riddance!"

"Yeah, hopefully. That asshole had it coming, especially with the way he treated Gohan on Roshi's island!" Bulma grumbled, before a sobering thought came to her. "You...you guys think Gohan's still alive, right?"

Roshi's eyebrow shot up, but he kept a clear face as to not scare his former pupil and Bulma. "I see no reason that he wouldn't be. That Raditz, he's not stupid enough as to kill Gohan. History has shown that evil people like him, they rarely will eliminate those who can prove useful to them at first glance."

"Raditz spoke of Goku being sent here to purge this planet and destroy it; apparently, all Saiyans are like that. Raditz's intention after our 'meeting' at Kame House was presumably that if he couldn't bring Goku back with him, Gohan would suffice. To have two Saiyans to choose from and end up killing them both, it'd be foolish on Raditz's part," Roshi continued, using a sense of logic most wouldn't even have considered in a desperate time like this.

"I can understand that. It'd be like if people from the Pod Corporation came for my father's work, saw how I'd be able to help them make a better product, and then killed us both," Bulma murmured, trailing off when she noticed the blank look on Krillin's face. "Pod Corp. is just a minor rival to Capsule Corporation, but they're nothing special."

Roshi sighed, looking out the window at a flock of birds that flew past Bulma's ship, happily chirping away as they migrated back home. Beneath the birds was a blue river, where the old man could see fish flopping, doing their best to avoid the scattered fisherman trying to catch a meal for their families. _And to think that Goku was supposedly tasked to destroy all of this when he was sent here as a baby...without Goku, none of this would even be here today._

"Yo! Roshi!" Bulma's loud voice snapped Roshi out of his monologue, and the martial arts master turned his attention back to the cerulean-haired woman. "Krillin thinks he found Goku and Piccolo's location!"

"What? Excellent, Krillin," Roshi praised, pushing his sunglasses back. "Where are they, exactly?"

"About five minutes from here. The only surrounding energies are ones of animals, so I'm guessing that they're not near West City," Krillin explained, a small smile showing on his face as he thought of Goku and Gohan both alive. "Bulma, keep flying, and the two of us will look out the windows to try spotting them."

"I'm on it!"

* * *

For the first time since before Raditz's arrival, the Spinach Wastes were dead silent - it was eerie, considering how full of life it had been just minutes before. Gone was the loud shouting and the high-pitched noises of energy blasts being fired; replacing them was tranquility and peace, something one would have assumed was impossible from the wasteland five minutes ago. Once Raditz had collapsed, seemingly fainting from the shock of memory loss, the arguing between Son Goku and Piccolo Junior had quickly halted.

"That was weird," Goku stated, breaking the ominous silence that troubled him and annoyed Piccolo. "Ever see anything like that, Piccolo?"

The demon shook his head, keeping silent the fact he was rarely around people - and when he was, they passed out not from shock or amnesia, but fear of the great, monstrous, Piccolo. "If he had intentions of tricking us by saying he couldn't remember anything, passing out didn't really help his case."

"What do you mean?" Goku asked, confused. "I don't think he was trying to trick us there - it seemed like he actually didn't know where he was."

"Of course you'd be stupid enough to say that, but just think for a second. When you're trying to get the person to believe you don't remember anything, you want them to believe you by any means necessary; passing out just seems like the opposite," Piccolo voiced his opinion out loud, giving his attention to the again-unconscious Raditz. "Weak Saiyan - I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he passed out because he remembered that despite his 'strength', he was still defeated."

Goku remained silent, fighting the urge to throw Raditz and Gohan onto his shoulders and just fly home. Not only would Piccolo kill him before he was out of the Spinach Wastes, however, Goku also didn't have the energy to take them both. "So, what now? We can't just leave him here, and I don't think either of us want to wait until he wakes up again - I'm starving!"

_Why are you such a moron_? Piccolo wondered to himself, sighing loudly. "You know, Goku, if we had just listened to my plan and put Raditz out of his misery by now, then this whole 'was he lying or not' ordeal wouldn't even be happening."

"If we had listened to your plan, then an innocent being would have been killed."

"He's _not_ innocent, Goku! I don't want to hear about how he didn't kill anyone - when neither of us know that he did - or that because he's unconscious, that somehow makes what he did before non-existent," Piccolo yelled, no longer finding any reason to keep his emotions inside. While Piccolo had grown accustomed to Goku's innocence and forgiving nature, the Namekian would have figured that even Goku would be smart enough to know when someone's a threat.

"Would you have done the same with King Piccolo?" the demon continued, satisfied when he saw Goku's facial expression drop. "I see that you get my point, so I'm just going to finish Raditz off for good."

Suddenly, a buzzing noise caught both fighters' attention. "The hell is that?" Piccolo asked, spotting a flying ship coming their way. For a second, the Namekian believed that it may have been Raditz's teammates, but there was a logo on the front, and a familiar one at that.

Turning, Goku's frown flipped once he recognized the sight. "Hey, it's Bulma's ship! I bet she brought Krillin and Master Roshi with her!"

"Great, the entire band of idiots has made their way here," sarcastically muttered Piccolo, recognizing Krillin as the bald one he fought at the twenty-third Tenkaichi Budokai. _And the one that Tambourine killed…_

"Goku, you alright?" Bulma screamed into the ship's microphone, unaware that it wasn't turned on; still, the Saiyan was able to hear her since her window was open, and waved to signify he was well.

Unfortunately, Piccolo wasn't as pleased that the blue-haired woman decided to yell as loudly as humanly possible; he hated loud noises, after all, due to his sensitive hearing. "Why is she even here? Why are _any_ of them here?"

"They're here to help, Piccolo," Goku replied, before losing his balance and falling to the grass. If there was any positive of the Saiyan's error, it was that unlike before, the pain he suffered wasn't as serious. "Hey, guys, glad to see you!"

"Are you ok, Goku?" Krillin asked worriedly, moving with agility Goku had never seen from the bald human before. Goku attributed it to Krillin's fear; the nervousness he sensed from his fellow Turtle School graduate was at an all-time high, it seemed. "I tried following the fight, but the powers were just too heavy. It was unreal!"

"Tell me about it, I'm the one that was in the middle of it," Goku chuckled, a familiar smile showing on his face despite the circumstances. "But we won. We," Goku paused to gesture to Piccolo, who held the same impassive, emotionless, look. "were able to prevent Raditz from killing us all and taking my son."

"Oh yeah, kinda forgot that you were with Piccolo," Krillin admitted, moving his hand to the back of his head à la Goku's signature mannerism. "Hey, Piccolo."

Piccolo grunted.

"Anyways," Goku paused to cough, not even bothering to make note of the small drips of blood that appeared on his hand. "I wish you'd have been here with us, buddy. We definitely could've used your help against Raditz!"

"Um, Goku," Krillin started, his normally small eyes dilating in caution. "as much as I hear where you're coming from, you may want to take it easy. In case you haven't noticed, you're in pretty crappy shape right now."

"Yeah, I could really go for a Senzu Bean," the palm-tree haired warrior remarked in a joking tone, although everyone knew it was the truth. If Goku didn't get a Senzu, or any semblance of medical help soon, he'd be in the next dimension rather quickly.

"GOKU!" Bulma shouted, sprinting towards her best friend with the speed of a marathon runner and wrapping him in a heavy hug. Despite Bulma's fragility as a normal human with not a second spent honing her energy or fighting, the strength she used while embracing Goku was enough to make the bruised, bloody warrior moan in pain.

"Ah! Sorry, Goku!" Bulma said, blushing that she'd been able to hurt the almighty Goku with just a simple hug. The blue-haired woman backed away, embarrassed "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Laughing despite the pain, Goku shook his head and grinned. "Don't worry 'bout it, Bulma. If you can hurt me that easily with a hug, just imagine what you could do if you trained to fight! I bet Yamcha would be really impressed!"

"Sorry we couldn't fight alongside you today, Goku," Roshi solemnly said, breaking the new light mood. While he probably wouldn't have fared well against a power like Raditz, the old man still was disappointed in the fact he didn't even _try_. "You handled yourself very well, which doesn't shock me in the least bit, but we shouldn't have let your brother alone."

"It's ok, Master. If I hadn't fought with Piccolo, it would've been a much harder fight," Goku replied, smiling at the man who had taken him under his wing over a decade ago. "Besides, just the fact you were able to teach me was enough, because without all I learned from you, Raditz would have defeated me in an instant."

"I'm just glad to see that you're ok; I admit, I was worried," Roshi revealed, much to the annoyance of Piccolo. _So emotional, these humans are_, the demon king said to himself, rolling his eyes. _It's pitiful - what's going to end up happening when I finally defeat Goku? Just how annoying will they be then_?

"Appreciate that, Master Roshi," Goku smiled at the man who taught him how to be an effective fighter. "Don't worry, next time, you can definitely join-"

Goku was cut off by a loud cough from Piccolo, who glared at the Saiyan and his three human companions. "As much as I'd love for you four to continue your annoying squabbling about nonsense, we have a problem on our hands. We still haven't figured out what the hell we're doing with this bastard!" Piccolo gestured to Raditz, who still lay unconscious on the grass.

"Isn't he dead?" Bulma asked, but quickly regretted speaking when she saw the daggers Piccolo drive into her.

"If he was dead, I wouldn't be here anymore. If he was dead, this moron," Piccolo nodded to Goku, who was watching birds fly in circles. "would be dead as well. His son, who is the sole reason Goku's brother was even defeated, probably would be with me...or dead as well."

"Gohan!" Bulma cried loudly, much to the annoyance of the sensitive Piccolo; the Capsule Corp. princess interrupted the topic at hand to scoop the sleeping child from the ground and hold him in her arms. "What do you mean he's the reason Raditz was defeated? I thought you two were the ones that beat him up."

"We were, but when Raditz decided it would be a good idea to torture Goku, the boy broke out of his prison - that space pod - and smashed into Raditz's head. Damn Saiyan was knocked right out," Piccolo explained, earning loud gasps from the three humans. "That's not all either. When he woke up, he claimed not to remember anything or who he was. Then, he passed back out again."

As Bulma prepared to speak again, Piccolo continued. "Goku and I have argued since Raditz was knocked out the first time about what to do with him. I still think he's a threat, and he needs to be put down. Goku, for whatever reason, has been defending this monster and saying we shouldn't kill him because 'he's unconscious and can't fight back.'"

"And I still stand by that belief," Goku butted in, no longer watching the birds.

_Can't say I'm shocked; Goku's always been like that, forgiving and willing to move on_, Roshi mused as he processed the news. Still, he held the same level of confusion and shock that Krillin and Bulma both had. "You do realize the ramifications of allowing your brother to live, Goku. If he were to attack you, or even try to take your son again, do you think you'd be able to defeat him? Piccolo says that Gohan was why your brother was defeated; would it be worth it to even risk giving him another chance, knowing the power he holds?"

"Yes, without a doubt," Goku answered, knowing that his adoptive grandfather would be proud of that answer. "I just think that it'd be wrong to kill someone who can't fight back, which is something both you and Grandpa Gohan taught me, Master. I'm not defending him, but killing him when he's unconscious and incapable of defending himself would make me just as bad as he is."

"But Goku, he kidnapped your son and tried to kill you!" Krillin quietly remarked, amazed at Goku's state of mind and the 'defense' of Raditz. "I just don't get how you could say that you should let someone like that live, but I trust you. If you say we shouldn't kill him, then I'm in your court."

"I'm confused - are we letting him live and staying here, or sending him on his way?" Bulma queried, only understanding half of the conversation. A wide smile showed on Bulma's face when she felt the sleeping Gohan nuzzle up against her.

As Goku prepared to answer Bulma's question, he saw the jaws of his friends (and Piccolo), drop, their eyebrows shooting up at the exact same time. Bulma, who just seconds before had a look of glee on her face, raised her right pointer finger in evident horror at Goku.

"What's wrong guys?" Goku naïvely asked, unaware of what it was that troubled his friends. "Is it something on my face? If that's what's scaring you, don't worry - it's just blood, and it's dry."

Ignoring his rival's comments, Piccolo lurched forward, bending his knees as he entered a fighting stance. Even with his intelligence, Goku was smart enough to see the look of determination in Piccolo's onyx eyes, the same look the demon king had given him way too many times.

Too scared to even make one of her typical brash remarks, Bulma jumped behind Master Roshi, thinking the old man could protect her. Krillin, hesitating whether or not he'd cower in fear or join Piccolo in self-defense, chose the latter, bringing his hands upward in trying to protect himself.

"Uh, guys-" Goku said, before picking up a noise behind him. It was quiet, but the Saiyan could hear deep, heavy breaths; Goku could also detect an unfathomable power, which got stronger by the minute. Goku could also hear...dripping?

Once Goku finally realized what was going on, he froze. Unfortunately for Earth's greatest defender, it was far too late.

"What happened? Who are you people?"

* * *

_Welcome back to Survival Instinct! Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! As I sat in the humid June weather and realized that I'm now seventeen, it's crazy, and it's even crazier that this July, I'll be celebrating two years on this site. Man, where did the time go?_

_Thanks for all the early support on this fic - means a lot to see people enjoying it. I hope that chapter two was able to not only clear up questions you may have had, but also develop new ones as we await what'll happens to Raditz, as well as the others. This was a fun chapter to write, especially the parts with Master Roshi and Piccolo - those two are always a pleasure for me to write._

_I have a feeling some people may question my writing of Piccolo in this chapter, but remember - this is early DBZ Piccolo, not the wiser Piccolo we see in the series. While he is wise here - like with how he just wants to kill Raditz to avoid any issues - you still see some brashness in his attitude. But because Piccolo KNOWS that Raditz could kill him and Goku without any issues if he actually focused, you see why Piccolo just wants to go through with killing Raditz._

_Just to clarify something - with Raditz's scouter breaking, that means Vegeta and Nappa aren't fully aware of what happened to him. For all they know, he's dead right now...we'll see how that affects things._

_Finally, at the end of each chapter, I do like to address reviews - or private messages - that detail questions, comments, or even concerns about the fic._

_R: How does Raditz know that Bardock had psychic powers? I don't think that'd be something Lord Frieza would allow his sla-I mean soldier to know. Hell, Frieza wouldn't know either._

_A: Domino effect of rumors. Someone in Frieza's army says that Bardock must've been psychic to know Frieza was coming, that turns into a rumor, and it spreads like a zombie pathogen. I think we all can relate to rumors spreading quickly.._

_R: do RaditzXMaron_

_A: That probably is not going to happen - I can't see the two getting together._

_R: I liked the way you did TaT the first time, and I feel the same way about this first chapter. I'm really interested to see how Raditz can play into the story like this. Also, the little backstory you gave him about his pride is really well thought out. The whole thing about Turles being Raditz's and Goku's brother kinda bugs me, but I'll let it go. Other than that, great first chapter. :)_

_A: I admit that the concept of Turles, Goku, and Raditz all being related is a bit cliche, but with the way that the story is designed, it'll make sense. Yeah, pride is a big factor into things, especially in a story like DBZ where most of the main villains (Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, Buu, Omega Shenron) have somewhat of an ego complex._

_R: Admittedly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the previous rendition as it was very similar in terms of how far the plot got if not a bit shorter (although reading what I think were different actions was nice), I REALLY liked seeing inside Raditz's twisted head. The want for a fraternal bond, overshadowed by pride, bloodlust and the want for conquest._

_A: Understandable about the first part, and yeah, the years of being a slave to Frieza have messed Raditz up badly. His pride, man, that's all he has left...hopefully, things will begin to brighten for him, and he can have both pride AND a fraternal bond!_

_Any questions, comments, or concerns about the fic that you have can be left in a review or private message; I'll respond either way, unless you're a guest account in which I'll just respond in the chapter. Thanks again - FP out for now, and I'll speak to you once junior year is over!_


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